Written by What is the value of a tree. This brief article says up to $57,000! While I am not sure it was fair for them to compound their analysis ($57,000 is in future dollars), the concept seems sound that a tree can provide hundreds of dollars a year in benefits. The value of a tree
(I have scoured the internet for more scientific ways to assess the dollar value of trees, and there is really no easy way to do it. There are plenty of times when it has to be done, for insurance reasons after a fire or windstorm for instance, or when a government takes out private trees to build a road, but it is most often accomplished by appraisers who look at the value of a property with and without certain trees.)
penalty
Did these people next to you have a performance bond or is there some way the City can make them pay restitution for the destruction of those beautiful trees? Small fines are just an annoyance to them, not a deterrent. We need to have penalties that make this kind of thing unprofitable.
A few articles on what Renton’s neighbor to the north is doing in regards to tree retention:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/342498_trees07.html
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=treecutting21e&date=20060321
I believe the Bellevue prosecutor is actually treating this as a criminal matter rather than civil. The big difference is that the trees were on city property rather than private property. However, this gives you a good idea of how Bellevue’s arborists have valued trees.
Interesting that you mention that, because driving through Bellevue the other day, I noticed that even though it’s been quite built up and developed, they’ve managed to preserve a lot of nature.
-Katie
This is Katie, just not logged in 🙂
After chatting with other people about all the trees being taken out, it sounds like (as a commenter on a previous post pointed out) individuals have to deal with consequences when they have trees taken out, whether it is to add on to their home, put in a driveway, or because the trees are sick.
Apparently all it takes is a phone call to be reported. While I don’t advocate reporting your neighbors (except in extreme situations) hopefully everyone (me included) will be more aware that they can and should report to the city when developers clearcut lots. If the developers go unchecked, nothing will happen. If this is happening next to you, let the city know!
voice of experience
and still nothing will happen…
Message for Randy C.
Hi Randy –
I hope you read these before they show-up…
In an effort to combat funding cuts Talbot Hill Elementary School is having a fund raising auction. It’s a big deal to raise funds, the MicroSociety program depends on it. If I send you some info, maybe a couple of pictures of the kids working on the class projects, would you include it in your blog? We sure would appreciate the coverage.
Thanks –
Jan Hickling
jzhickling@yahoo.com
(I didn’t think it would be appropriate to contact you at your council email – there seems to be alot of rules about what can be discussed over the city emails.)
Re: Message for Randy C.
Yes! Please send it. I would be happy to post it. You can email me at racorman@comcast.net.
City Trees
Randy,
Can you explain why the city continues to cut down some of it’s most beautiful trees? I’m thinking of the trees near Memorial Stadium that got axed sometime recently. They were beautiful, healthy, massive trees that had to have at least a 36″ diameter. There must have been 20 of them chopped down. Now, all that’s left is a bunch of huge stumps that will act as a reminder to us over the next 100 years about how insane all of the tree cutting is.
Or, perhaps we just pass an ordinance mandating that ALL trees within City limits must be cut to the ground within the year. That would take care of a lot of drawn out aggravation, wouldn’t it? I’m speaking rhetorically, of course, but it just seems as if we are moving in that direction anyway.
Re: City Trees
You’re wrong on the healthy part — the reason why they were cut down is that they were unhealthy and in danger of falling over and squishing someone. If I remember correctly, they were cottonwoods, which are essentially giant weeds with terrible root structures.
They’re supposed to be replaced with something a bit more appropriate for the site. There was an article (if it can be called that — more like the standard reprinted news release) in the Renton Reporter a few weeks ago.
Re: City Trees
With all this talk about trees, I think I’ll go out back and cut down another alder. It makes good firewood and they are a nuisance tree. I’ll see if I can have it bucked up and split by 7pm.
Re: City Trees
Alders are nitrogen fixers; they’re far from a nuisance tree. Where you have low nitrogen acidic soil, alders can grow where other trees can’t.
Cut down your alders if you like, but don’t be surprised when the landscape around them goes barren in a few years.
Re: City Trees
The RHS alma mater starts out “midst the leafy trees surrounding…”
Hopefully they don’t change to “beside the tree stumps left remaining”.